ARS | Publication request: T. GONDII IN FREE-RANGE CHICKENS SEROPREVALENCE AND ISOLATION OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII FROM FREE-RANGE CHICKENS FROM GHANA, INDONESIA, ITALY, POLAND, AND VIETNAM

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: August 22, 2007
Publication Date: February 1, 2008
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Huong, L.T., Lawson B, W.L., Subekti, D.T., Tassi, P., Cabaj, W., Sundar, N., Velmurugan, G.V., Kwok, O.C., Su, C. 2008. T. gondii in free-range chickens: seroprevalence and isolation of toxoplasma gondii from free-range chickens from Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, and Vietnam. Journal of Parasitology. 94:68-71.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts.Toxoplasmosis causes mortality in many species of animals in the zoos, especially primates. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and scientists from several countries report genetic characterization of Toxoplasma from chickens from Souteast Asia and Europe. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians

Technical Abstract: The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, and Vietnam was determined using the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 41 (64%) of 64 chickens from Ghana, 24 (24.4%) of 98 chickens from Indonesia, 10 (12.5%) of 80 chickens from Italy, 6 (30%) of 20 chickens from Poland, and 81(24.2%) of 330 chickens from Vietnam. Hearts and brains of chickens were bioassayed for T. gondii. Viable T. gondii was isolated from 2 chickens from Ghana,1 chicken from Indonesia, 3 chickens from Italy, 2 chickens from Poland, and 1 chicken from Vietnam. Toxoplasma gondii isolates from 9 chickens were genotyped using 10 PCR-RFLP markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico. A total of 7 genotypes were identified; the 3 isolates from chickens from Italy were clonal Type II and the remainders were nonclonal. This is the first report of genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from animals from these countries.